Standing supports for collapsible retaining sheets employing flanged metal pallet legs



Sept. 20, 1960 c. T. ROSHON 2,953,339

STANDING SUPPORTS FOR COLLAPSIBLE RETAINING SHEETS EMPLOYING FLANGED METAL PALLET LEGS I Filed Oct. 16, 1958 FIG.I FlG. 2

2 2/ H 1 a i United States Patentt) STANDING SUPPORTS FOR COLLAPSIBLE RE- TAINING SHEETS EMPLOYING FLANGED METAL PALLET LEGS Filed Oct. 16, 19-58, Ser. No. 767,565

5 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) The invention relates broadly to an improvement in collapsible and expendable pallets having a platform and a retaining sheet of fibreboard or other suitable material for retaining flanged metal pallet legs in position.

In particular the invention pertains to flexible standing supports, which hold the flanged metal leg retaining sheet in position, snugly against the underface of the flanges of the metal legs and prevent the retaining sheet from dropping away from the metal legs of the pallet.

These standing supports are formed from the material which would otherwise be discarded as scrap from the openings cut in the retaining sheet for the insertion of the flanged metal legs. The length of the standing supports is substantially equal to the depth of the metal legs from the underface of their flanges to their bottom. The standing supports are forced to a relatively right angular position with respect to the retaining sheet, when the metal pallet legs are inserted in the retaining sheet openings and hold the retaining sheet snugly in position against the underface of the metal flanges while the pallet is be ing loaded and is in use.

Without the standing supports, the retaining sheet may be held in place by gluing or stapling the retaining sheet to the pallet platform or by relying on the friction between the metal legs and the bondaries of the openings cut in the retaining sheet for the insertion of the metal legs. The former method is unsatisfactory since it interferes with the collapsibility of the pallet. The latter method has also proven unsatisfactory when openings in the retaining sheet have become enlarged, due to continued use and the resulting insuflicient friction may allow the retaining sheet to slip down over the metal legs to the floor, while the pallet is being loaded or is in use.

An important object of this invention is to provide supports, for holding the sheet for retaining the flanged metal legs of a pallet in position. The supports are formed from the material, which would otherwise be discarded as scrap material, resulting from cutting the openings in the retaining sheet for the insertion of the flanged metal pallet legs.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a support for the retaining sheet for the flanged metal legs of the pallet, which may be reuseable and will not interfere wt-ih the collapsibility of the pallet.

Still another object is to provide a standing support for the retaining sheet for the metal legs of a collapsible pallet which will not interfere with access to the pallet by both high and low fork type lift trucks when lifting from either end of either side of the pallet.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for holding the retaining sheet for the metal legs of the pallet in position without the use of staples, adhesive, or the like while the pallet is being loaded or is in use.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide fibreboard standing supports for the retaining sheets for flanged metal legs of pallets, which may be 2,953,339 Patented Sept. 20, 1960 utilized with various shaped metal legs with flanged tops, such as cylindrical, rectangular, or triangular in cross section, straight sided or tapered.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction of the standing support.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention and form a part of the specification and wherein like numerals and symbols therein appearing refer to like parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1-is a plan view illustrating the retaining sheet of a collapsible pallet with standing supports;

[Fig 2 is an enlarged plan view of the area surrounding one of the openings in the retaining sheet for flanged metal legs, showing the method of forming a standing support; f

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view in perspective of the area surrounding one of the openings in the retaining sheet for the flanged metal legs showing the standing support folded downwardly at a substantially right angle; p

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view throughline 5 -5 of Fig. 4, with a platform sheet added;

'Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view of the area surrounding an opening in the retaining sheet for'the flanged metal legs showing a cylindrical flanged metal leg-in;

serted and the standing support forced downwardly in substantially a right angular relation to the retaining sheet} Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view of the area surrounding an opening in the retaining sheet for the flanged metal legs, showing a modified flanged leg of rectangular shape inserted and the standing support forced downwardly in substantially a right angular relation to the retaining sheet.

In a preferred form of the invention, a retaining sheet 20, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is formed from fibreboard or other suitable material, with die-cut openings 21, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, cut in a straight line from 24 to 25, thence in circular form and from 25 in a straight line to 24' as in Figs. 2 and 4, and forming a tab 22, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, which is hinged to the retaining sheet 20 at hinge line 23.

In this preferred form of the invention, a cylindrical shaped flanged metal leg 26 is provided, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, of slightly smaller diameter than the diecut opening 21 in the retaining sheet 20 and with a flange 27 of sufficient width to prevent perforation or cutting of a pallet platform 28, as illustrated in Fig. 5. When the pallet leg 26 is inserted through the opening 21 in the retaining sheet 20, the tab 22 is forced downwardly in substantially a right angular position to the retaining sheet 20, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Since the length of this tab 22 is substantially equal to the depth of the metal pallet leg 26, from the underface of its flange 27, to the bottom of the leg, the retaining sheet 20, is held snugly in place against the underface of the metal leg flange 27, when the pallet is placed on the floor for loading or while the pallet is in use.

A pallet platform 28, made of fibreboard or other suitable material, and preferably of substantially the same length and width as the retaining sheet 20, is placed on top of the retaining sheet 20 so that it is resting on the gppeg faces of the metal leg flanges 27, as illustrated in Other forms of flanged metal legs may be employedsuch as illustrated in Fig. 7. The rectangular flanged metal leg 29 is inserted in the oblong die-cut opening 31 in the retaining sheet 20, and the tab 62 is forced downwardly from the hinge line 33 in a substantially right angular relation to the retaining sheet 20, thereby, positioning the retaining sheet 20 snugly against the underface of the leg flange 30, when the pallet is being loaded or is in use.

It is to be understood that the embodiments herein described are illustrative and not restrictive and it is also understood that the invention may be susceptible of embodiments :in other forms, and all such modifications which are similar to or equivalent hereto come equally within the scope of the claims next appearing. I claim:

1. In a collapsible, expendable pallet comprising a fibreboard platform positioned over a fibreboard retaining sheet with the flanges of a series of spaced metal legs, interposed therebetween, the retaining sheet having said metal legs inserted in spaced die-cut openings therein with portions of its upper face in contact with the underface of the flanges of the metal legs; means for holding the said retaining sheet snugly against the underface of the flanges of the metal legs, said means comprising a tab, which is an integral part of the retaining sheet, hinged thereto and extending downwardly to a length substantially equal to the depth of the metal leg from the underface of its flange to its base in substantially right angular relation to the retaining sheet, thereby forming a standing support for holding the retaining sheet in position.

2. The means for holding the retaining sheet in position as defined in and claimed in claim 1, wherein the said tab forming the standing support is formed from the material resulting from the die-cutting of the openings in the metal leg retaining sheet, through which the flanged metal legs are inserted.

3. The means for holding the retaining sheet in position as defined in and by claim 1, wherein the standing support holds said retaining sheet in position, snugly 4 i against the underface surfaces of the flanges of the metal legs of the pallet, without the use of extraneous material while the pallet is being loaded and in use.

4. The standing support for a retaining sheet for flanged metal legs as defined in and by claim 1, which may be returned to a position coplanar with the retaining sheet, when the flanged metal leg is withdrawn.

5. In a collapsible pallet employing a retaining sheet for holding a plurality of flanged metal legs against the underface of a paperboard platform, said retaining sheet having a series of spaced openings for receiving the body of said metal legs with the flanges thereof interposed between said platform and the retaining sheet; the method of forming a standing support for holding said retaining sheet snugly against the underface of the flanges of the legs, comprising forming foldable tabs hinged to the retaining sheet and extending across the spaced openings cut therein formed solely from a portion of the material discarded in forming said openings, the length of the tabs being substantially equal to the depth of the flanged metal legs from the underface of the flange to the base of the leg, inserting said flanged metal legs through said retaining sheet openings, automatically forcing said tabs downwardly in substantially right angular relation to the re taining sheet with its free end edge coplanar with the base of the leg to form the standing support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 334,826 Tipton Jan. 26, 1886 742,022 Hahn Oct. 20, 1903 1,139,669 Gibbon May 18, 1915 2,706,099 Whalley Apr. 12, 1955 

